Stuck
by littlegypsy25
Summary: David Gordon lives a simple life, without love or happiness, but when the women (and men) at his office begin buzzing about a book written by a mysterious author, David gets a second chance on love, with the only girl he ever wanted.
1. Man vrs Woman

Rated PG  
  
Disclaimer: I do NOT own Lizzie McGuire, cuz if I did you would see a LOT less of Hil and more of Adam...  
  
Stuck  
  
It was brisk, but warm morning in New York City, as David Gordon crossed a busy street, brief-case clutched in hand. Avoiding a near miss with a taxi cab, he walked among the millions of others, wearing down the pavement.  
  
"Good-morning," came a voice behind him. He turned to see a dark eyed woman, with a long mane of auburn hair.  
  
"Hello, Lydia." He replied, politely.  
  
"On your way to the Newsstand David?" she asked.  
  
"Can't go a day without my coffee," he answered.  
  
"Ah, neither can I." they stopped before a local 'Barnes and Noble' Newsstand, each taking a copy of the Times, and Lydia got herself a hot vanilla cappuccino, and David black coffee.  
  
"So do you have your whole design done?" asked Lydia, as she sipped on her drink.  
  
"Yeah, I finished the front lay-out last night."  
  
David Gordon had been hired almost two years ago to work at the magazine 'Core' which surrounded women's fashions. Although he knew zip about what women actually liked to wear, he was very creative in layouts and spreads, something that he discovered with his love of filming. 'Core' had hired him, and within year he was one of the top editors on staff, making a nice salary, and living in glorious New York. Yeah, it wasn't a bad life.  
  
The reached the tall building the housed several different magazine, newspaper, and publishing companies, and headed in through the lobby, taking the elevator to the eighteenth floor.  
  
"I can't wait to see what you've done with it," Lydia said warmly, obviously trying to coax more out of him then she was getting.  
  
Lydia Bennett was tall, thin, beautiful, talented and brilliant, every man was in love with her, and every woman envied her. She was very popular in the office, because all the women were always asking about her clothes, jewelry and how she was so good at catching any man. The men, for that matter were all in awe of her, she was the kind you could want but never have, and she could have had any man, but she didn't settle for just anything, she only wanted the best.  
  
And the best was David Gordon.  
  
They entered the lobby of the offices, where all the women were crowded around a center desk, laughing and talking about something. "Hello girls." Lydia walked over, and peered over shoulders for a better look.  
  
"Hello Lyddie," replied Anna Steinman looking up, "You simply must see this."  
  
"Oh?"  
  
David shook his head, as usual the women of the office were fawning over some new fad, be it clothes, quizzes, novels or music, it would keep them off task for hours.  
  
"It's the most wonderful book." Sighed Janet, "It's called 'Stuck'"  
  
"Oh, Mr. Gordon, come over and look." His secretary Lynn called.  
  
"Thank you ladies but I must be getting to work, after all we do have deadlines." He answered hastily, and tried to make a quick escape to his large office, but was stopped by another co-worker Kyle Martin.  
  
"Morning Gordon, have you read 'the book' yet?" He asked. Kyle was the tall, well built, jock type, who was constantly flirting with the ladies, and they were always drowning in his complements.  
  
"No, Martin I haven't." he tried to turn away, but Kyle put a tight hold on his left shoulder.  
  
"Look, Gordon, this may seem odd, but even I want to read this book, and I've heard it's simply genius."  
  
Realizing they weren't going to let him leave till he heard an explanation, he stayed.  
  
"It's called 'Stuck'" Lydia smiled, "I've actually already read it." The ladies laughed and smiled,  
  
"Really, Lyddie? Why didn't you tell us?" asked Janet.  
  
"You wouldn't let me get a word in, anyway, David it's about these two friends in High School, a girl and a boy, who are inseparable, and the boy falls in love with the girl, and she just doesn't see it...and oh it's just lovely."  
  
Kyle grabbed the New York Times out of David's clutched fist and opened it up to a particular page, and showed him a list,  
  
"Number One on the New York Times list for almost ten weeks." He pointed as David reached for the paper. "See look there's a review here. By the way Ladies...when will I be able to borrow that?" he turned his attention to the women.  
  
"After I'm done," Lynn replied, snatching the copy from Janet's hand, and diving towards her desk, to read in peace.  
  
"I might as well pick up my own God Damned copy." He said disgustedly.  
  
David spread out the paper on a desk and read,  
  
'LBM, author of the remarkable book 'Stuck' has warmed its way into the hearts of both men and women of every age. The characters Katherine, called Kat, and Adam are beautifully detailed, to every last inch. You know them, feel them and see them by the time you put this book down. As the two make there way through a few years of High School, and then into college, LBM paints their story of survival, friendship and slowly growing romance in a colossal mural of happiness, sadness, anger and joy that can only be classified as a modern day classic of our time.'  
  
"It's supposed to be simply magnificent." Kyle noted.  
  
"It is." Lydia replied.  
  
"Sounds lovely guys, but I have work." And David Gordon excused himself to his office.  
  
"The man just doesn't have a feeling for the human soul does he?" asked Kyle.  
  
"I wonder what happened to him..." Lydia murmured watching his office door close.  
  
"Well all, I'm off; I'm running to 'B and N' and getting a copy of that book if it kills me." Kyle threw on his sports coat and hit the down button on the elevator.  
  
--  
  
There was a soft knock at David Gordon's door. He looked up, "Come in."  
  
It was Lydia.  
  
"I thought you might want to talk." She said quickly.  
  
"About...?" He asked.  
  
"Look, David, I've known you for quite some time now, and I was thinking, maybe, perhaps..."  
  
She perched on the edge of one of his office chairs, crossing her long, slender and well tanned legs.  
  
"I was thinking that maybe sometime, we could get some dinner together." She flashed a bright white smile.  
  
David opened his mouth, he really wanted to say no to her, but he hadn't been out on a date for quite sometime...so...  
  
"Ahh...sure Lydia that would be nice." He finally finished.  
  
"Great!" she jumped up, "Where exactly would you like to go?"  
  
"Uh...I don't know..." the door to his office suddenly swung open.  
  
"Lydia, come quick!" It was Lynn, and she was out of breath, "You too Mr. Gordon!"  
  
Lydia glanced at David, a puzzled expression on her face, he followed her out to the Lobby, the rest of the 'Core' staff was there, gathered around Kyle, the women twittering like mad, the men, hands in their pockets, nodding every so often.  
  
"Kyle is something wrong?" Lydia asked.  
  
"No everything is good Lyddie, actually it's magnificent."  
  
David and Lydia took a place next to one of the end men, Gregg, who said "Gordon, Kyle said you haven't even touched 'the book' yet."  
  
He nodded, thinking 'I hate trends...I hate trends...'  
  
"Okay, okay quiet down people. Here is the good news." He was holding up a packet of papers. "Barnes and Nobel is holding a contest, whoever wins gets a chance to spend the day with LBM the author of 'Stuck'."  
  
"I heard she's a total babe." Whispered Gregg, "We're talking Halle Berry, Brittney Spears hot."  
  
David shook his head disgustedly.  
  
"A WHOLE day with the author?!" Squealed Janet. "That's marvelous!"  
  
Lydia nodded enthusiastically, "I agree! But how do you enter?"  
  
Kyle shook his fist, a handful of paper clutched beneath his broad fingers, "I brought tons of entry forms."  
  
There was a scramble for pens, as Kyle handed out the precious scraps of paper.  
  
"Oooh, this is exciting!" said Lynn.  
  
"You know ladies, you shouldn't be filling them out at all." Snapped Keith, a tall blonde man, who wrote articles for 'Core', "I mean it's a woman after all isn't it? Shouldn't the men be the ones who want the chance to spend the day with a beautiful writer?"  
  
"LBM is NOT a woman!" cried Janet. "It's a man."  
  
"And how do you know?" asked Kyle.  
  
"Well...it's sort of funny I don't think I've ever read much up on the author at all." Lydia replied in a puzzled voice.  
  
"Well he has to have a website, doesn't he?" suggest Nina, a heavy-set red head.  
  
"SHE." Corrected Gregg.  
  
"Well I guess we could look..."  
  
Another scramble of movements, as everyone sat at a computer, or dashed into their offices, leaving David in clutter of forgotten paper slips.  
  
--  
  
Twenty minutes later at lunch, there was much complaining, only a few websites had appeared for 'LBM' and not one of them had told the gender of the author.  
  
"How is it possible that the most famous author in the world at this current moment DOESN'T HAVE SITE?" cried Janet in disgust, as she pierced a piece of lettuce with her fork, a little too vehemently.  
  
"Well, all I can figure or, hope anyway, is that someone here will win!" Lynn said exasperatedly.  
  
Lydia glanced at David, he was eating his lunch, (a bowl of soup he'd gotten at the restaurant two places down from the building) very quietly, not talking or socializing, just thinking, meditating.  
  
'God I wish I knew what that man thought about.' Mused Lydia as she closed her eyes and prayed that then end of the day would come a little quicker.  
  
--  
  
It was barely two months since the previously explained incident, two months in which Lydia Bennett had made a little more than a dent, in the very thick outer-crust that seemed to enclose David Gordon. He was quiet, silent...and yet he loved to tell her things. Things like what he thought of the world and politics, his parents, his religion...he even touched once upon the topic of 'true love', 'love at first sight' and even 'soul mates'.  
  
But it was obvious he didn't like to talk about it.  
  
Lydia wanted to know more than the Microsoft stock quotas, she wanted to understand him, and his life, and his past...the things that she just couldn't get him to talk about. But she was SO close...so very close! If only she could breach that outer layer, reach in and see his very heart, just to understand it for one second would have made her happy...but it seemed as if she would never fully comprehend David Gordon...never ever.  
  
He was sitting upright, as usual, at his large mahogany desk, mapping out the next front cover of 'Core'. He didn't recline in his desk, or think idly, he just worked. And that was him; he just got everything done, as soon as he could, whenever he could.  
  
The door of his office opened suddenly, and in walked Lydia, dressed in a dapper navy suit, her long legs accented by four-inch-stiletto heels.  
  
"Morning." She said warmly.  
  
He looked up and smiled, but returned to his work. He liked Lydia, yeah, sure he did. She was nice, friendly, not to mention beautiful. But he didn't love her, not yet, and he didn't think he ever would. But he had to date, being alone suited him well enough, yet the thought of looking ridiculous without something to occupy him on a Saturday night troubled him somehow, enough to convince him that he should continue seeing Lyddie...for the time being anyway.  
  
"Friday, 'Tavern on the Green' again?" she asked.  
  
"Oh, yeah...that sounds fine." David answered. He may have seemed a bit dull, a little like a wet mop, but he could laugh and be fun...even though Lyddie didn't mind him being a little quiet and reserved.  
  
"AHHHHHHH!!! OH MY GOD!!! OH MY GOD!"  
  
The screaming from the next room, startled David's mind, numb with work and the blaring computer screen, and he looked up at Lydia, who looked somewhat mortified, but quickly rushed at the door, David at her heels a moment later.  
  
It was Lynn. She was on the phone, screaming, jumping and yelling loudly into the receiver. "Okay, yes!...Yes, that's fine!... Okay, not a problem...TWO 'O CLOCK TODAY?...great okay...Good Bye!"  
  
"Lynn what happened?" cried Janet as Lynn hung up.  
  
"JANET I WON!!!!" she hollered.  
  
"You won?" asked Lydia quizzically, "Won what?"  
  
"I'M GOING TO SPEND THE DAY WITH LBM!" Lynn screamed.  
  
There was a sudden shot of commotion as everyone began talking at once. Yelling, screaming, flying office papers, phones started ringing, people were arguing.  
  
And all David Gordo did was go back to his office and work.  
  
--  
  
That afternoon at two, the entire staff of 'Core' (including Mr. Gordon) stood around in the lobby, waiting for the arrival of the novelist.  
  
"I still think it's a woman." Insisted Keith.  
  
Nina then told Keith to do something that David never expected to hear.  
  
Suddenly the phone rang, and everyone got quiet.  
  
"Hello?" asked Lynn into the receiver. "Great." She said after a pause and hung up.  
  
"What'd they say?" cried Janet, "WHAT? TELL ME?"  
  
"Breathe Jan, just that my guest would be here in a moment..."  
  
There was a sudden ding of the elevators, and a scramble of women to get to the doors, as the mystery author finally arrived.  
  
David, still lacking in the height department, couldn't really see what was going on, but by the gasping, and murmuring, he figured that 'LBM' was indeed, a woman.  
  
"I'm so sorry I'm late." He heard a voice say. "It was crazy traffic. So which one of you is the contest winner?" she asked warmly.  
  
"Me!" cried Lynn, pushing through the crowd.  
  
"Well it's wonderful meeting you." He  
  
"The same goes for me!" Lynn was positively giddy. "Well, may I introduce you around the office Miss..." Lynn stopped, she didn't really know her last name!  
  
"We're actually going to meet her!" Keith practically shouted in David's ear, and he completely missed the woman's last name.  
  
Still stuck at the end of the line, David waited as she made her rounds...but really, did he want to meet some woman who started a silly trend that he wanted NOTHING to do with? He turned on his heel and headed towards his office, only to hear,  
  
"And my boss, he's a top editor here, wait, DAVID!"  
  
The young woman was being held back by a large group, she was listening intently to each of Lynn's introductions.  
  
Someone grabbed his arm.  
  
It was Lydia, "You might as well meet her for the love of God."  
  
He turned around, and almost ran smack dab into someone.  
  
That someone happened to be LBM.  
  
And that someone stared at him for a moment, and he stared back.  
  
There was something familiar about those deep hazel brown eyes, and that long blonde mane.  
  
"G-Gordo?" she whispered, her eyes large with wonder.  
  
"Lizzie?" he cried, but it was barely audible.  
  
"Oh, my God..." she murmured.  
  
"Oh, my God..." his croaked...he could barely spit out the words.  
  
And David Gordon remembered why it was so hard loving Lydia Bennett.  
  
He was still in love with his best friend.  
  
--  
  
OOOH EVIL CLIFFIE!  
  
Look guys I'm sorry about long updates...I've just been really really busy!!! But I'll have more time once school is done! Since tomorrow is my last full day of school (Time to find out if I failed the Algebra II final! WHOO!)  
  
But anyway, since it's summer, I should have some time...even though Lauren's commin in next week...Theatre Camp...The Beach with Pony...then two weddings...and then BAND CAMP! Whoo! ...I may not get EVERYTHING done...but I'll try.  
  
Wow you guys get on my case, but I LOVE the attention!  
  
WEEEE!  
  
Anywhoo...more to come. And guys:  
  
PLEASE IF YOU DON'T SIGN IN ON YOUR REVIEW, GIVE ME YOUR E-MAIL!  
  
I reply to all my reviewers, it's a common courtesy and I love thanking you guys for taking your time and reading the garbage I call writing.  
  
Without you...there would be no point to this.  
  
Jen aka J~Ho 


	2. The Wrong Life

Hey guys, I'm back. Okies this chapter is a little bit more mature, which is why the rating has gone up to PG-13, there is some bad language, and a situation, which I do not detail, but still a mature situation that I thought you should realize is more than 'PG' cuz I don't want people to get upset because of it.  
  
BTW: THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS! 45 Guys...that's insane!!! Thank you, thank you! And for those of you that didn't get a reply, GIVE ME YOUR E-MAIL! And if you don't have one...well say so and I'll put your reply in my next post. Enjoy!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Lizzie McGuire, I simply own this story...a few odd characters...and this tale that I have spun.  
  
Chapter 2: The Wrong Life  
  
~10 years earlier~  
  
She lay backwards on the bed, her eyes drooping shut, after another long afternoon. It had seemed ages since she'd had the energy for anything.  
  
And she knew part of that was because of him.  
  
Lifting a thin, porcelain white hand, she rubbed her right temple feverishly. The satin coverlet beneath her was cool, unlike the sweltering May afternoon, and she wished desperately that they had central air, or for that matter, any air. Her head was throbbing with the heat, and an entire day of overly rambunctious teen-agers, who seemed to live, only to make her miserable. She used to LOVE teaching. What had happened?  
  
There was suddenly a soft creak behind her, and she said up abruptly, her bedroom door was opening slowly, and she could feel the rhythm of her heart speed up, three times its normal pace.  
  
She lightly licked her thin pink lips, parched from talking all day, she didn't want him to come in, and she didn't feel like talking to him, not just now.  
  
But the door opened in its usual squeaky manner, and in strode a tall and handsome man. Blonde hair perfectly cut, blue eyes twinkling dangerously in the low mid-evening light. He smiled brightly at her, flashing a white smile that would have sunk any woman to her knees, and he came over quickly to sit next to her on the bed.  
  
"Ahh, did we have a long day again?" He asked in a voice so thick with overly sweetness that you could have cut in two, and spread it on toast.  
  
"Hullo, Derek." She replied, her voice shaking nervously. In her general habit she pulled her skirt down a bit farther to hide her left calf, a large and throbbing bruise only a few days young. She'd worn long sleeves that day too, so that no one could see the long thin black-and blues, up and down her arms, where a grip so tight had left their mark.  
  
"Why so shaky baby?" he asked, stroking her long blonde hair, a little too harshly.  
  
"The heat," she murmured, "you know how I get woozy from the heat."  
  
"Hmmm, I see. Make me dinner will you precious?" He kissed her on the forehead, and got up, "I'll be in the den."  
  
She nodded, and waited a moment till she heard the door close at the other end of the apartment.  
  
She got up, slowly, but she didn't change out of her clothes, though she was nearly suffocating. Instead she walked into the tiny kitchen, and began making some roasted chicken.  
  
Today was a good day, she deceived, today he would not get angry with her for no apparent reason, and instead it would be calm and wonderful...the way it used to be.  
  
Beth wasn't sure when Derek Martin had changed from a kind, sweet, and sensitive man, into a rampaging tyrant with a quick and fiery temper.  
  
He had never been like that; he was so romantic, and fun. Bringing her gifts, and making her laugh...he'd swept her off her feet. They'd met, Senior year in High School, because he had transferred from Los Angeles, to the tiny town in Pennsylvania where Elizabeth Brooke McGuire had been raised. He instantly became popular, with his good looks and charm. And to the great surprise of many, he chose Beth, then known as Lizzie to be his sweetheart. He'd simply asked her to Homecoming, and then started to seriously date her. Of course most of the popular girls were furious, but it didn't seem to faze Derek at all, he told Beth that she was the sweetest, most beautiful girl he'd ever met, and without a doubt Elizabeth McGuire was sweet and beautiful, but whether Derek had meant it, was a completely different story.  
  
Within a year out of High School they had moved to California, and Beth quickly lost touch with all of her friends from home. It didn't matter what happened to any of them, all she could see, was Derek. He was her knight-in-shining armor, her night, her day, her whole entire life, because he convinced her that all they ever needed, was each other.  
  
And she had been stupid enough to believe it.  
  
Five years later she was teaching, and writing, her main passion, in her spare time. He was finishing law school, the whole time they had been sharing an apartment. They never talked about marriage, why bother? He loved her, and she adored him, what more did they need?  
  
Over that time though, she began to notice Derek's anger, his depression, and restlessness. For sometime she was convinced that it was simply the pressure of college, and that sometimes, despite the fact that they both worked, and had money from their families back home (neither family, seemed to realize that they were living together) that sometimes things were tight, and they never really could do the things they wanted to.  
  
But now, he was a member of a prestigious practice, members of the firm represented some of the most famous people in Hollywood; Derek himself had a few wealthy clients that paid *extremely* well.  
  
But there were was *still* something wrong, that Beth just couldn't put her finger on.  
  
--  
  
The door of the den opened, and Derek came into the tiny kitchen, taking a seat at the white Island. Beth had made chicken, potatoes, salad and had even heated up a few white rolls.  
  
He didn't say anything as he sat down, he only served himself some chicken, a few brown potatoes, which were brown only because of the large quantities of paprika on them, and after applying a little dressing to his salad (Thousand Island) he began to eat.  
  
Beth didn't speak either as she too placed a few things on her plate. They ate silently; the only sounds were the tinkling of ice in their glasses of ice tea, and the sounds of silver hitting the china.  
  
And then, he took a bite of the potatoes.  
  
Now any smart person who has ever eaten a potato before, knows that the ones right off the stove, after being fried so that they are soft enough, realizes that this makes them very hot.  
  
He had obviously forgotten.  
  
Derek took a bite, the steamy brown cubed potato touching his tongue for only a second, when it scalded the very tip.  
  
"JESUS CHIRST!" He screamed, jumping up from his stool. "GOD DAMNIT BETH DID YOU HAVE TO MAKE IT SO FUCKING HOT?" His voice tore through the tiny apartment, as he knocked over glasses, hitting his fork, and splattering potato against the cupboards. "AHHHHHH!" he hollered, so loudly that the walls shook with his voice.  
  
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" She began to say, shaking so hard that she almost died of fear. Her heart was going a mile a minute and she could feel tears welling up behind her light brown eyes. She didn't like it when people yelled, it startled her, frightened her to death.  
  
"I'M GETTING THE HELL OUT OF THIS HOUSE!" he boomed, and he marched to the door, grabbing his jacket from the hook, and disappearing into the evening.  
  
She stood up very quietly, fighting the urge to fall to the ground and sob. It was deep within her heart, and it made every last part of her hurt, with fear and distress...  
  
Beth surveyed the damage done. Two broken glasses, a chipped plate, spilled ice tea, and splattered potatoes.  
  
She clutched her chest, and before she could stop herself, sank to her knees, tears running down her soft cheeks.  
  
"Oh, God..." she murmured, "Oh, oh...God..."  
  
Today was not a good day.  
  
--  
  
Beth reclined on sofa, the smooth cover of "Gone With the Wind" by Margaret Mitchell, underneath her slender fingertips.  
  
She was trying to tune out that afternoon's events. She was attempting to ignore the fact that the man she loved was insane...and she was powerless to do anything about it.  
  
The clock in the corner struck 12 times.  
  
Wow, it's late, Beth thought, sitting up, Maybe I should go to bed.  
  
She'd been so absorbed with her novel that she had totally forgotten, she was just sitting up, when the door to the apartment opened, and Derek staggered in. His perfect hair mussed, clothing wrinkled, the smell of liquor radiating off of him.  
  
A gasp escaped from her throat, he was drunk, *again*.  
  
"You!" he cried, Derek moved toward her, and grabbed onto the corner of her shirt, "You burned my tongue, and where in the hell is my drink? Huh? Can't a man get anything good out of his wife anymore?" His words where so slurred, so bunched together that she could barely put them together.  
  
"Let go of me." She said hoarsely. Good God, the stench nearly knocked her out.  
  
"No...I need you for something." He murmured, and he pulled her against him, trying to kiss her.  
  
He was holding so tightly onto her that she could move neither her arms nor legs, and she couldn't escape him, he kept trying to kiss her, and not just on the lips either.  
  
"Derek, STOP!" she cried, but to no avail, he was beyond hearing. He lifted her up and pulled her into her bedroom, tossing her onto the satin coverlet.  
  
She opened her mouth to scream, only for him to slap her face harshly, sending pain searing through her whole body.  
  
Oh, God, she though, God bless me please, and everything disappeared into a sea of black.  
  
--  
  
Beth awoke the next morning, too stiff to move. Every part of her body ached. She couldn't open her eyes, she knew that if she did she would see the bruises on her arms and legs, the welts sticking up at her leeringly. She didn't hear any other breathing; he was obviously gone, off to work, pretending that this had never happened.  
  
But had it happened? She remembered only a few moments, brief but vivid, and she realized in horror that this was just too far.  
  
He had never done something like this before, he had never gone so far...so far as to actually...oh God what had he done?  
  
Rape? Was it that it? Could she technically call it rape? When he had slept with her so many times before, this time, even though she did not remember consenting, could it be consider it that?  
  
Beth opened her eyes, her body numb with cold fear and dread. She lifted the covers and looked down at her thin body.  
  
She couldn't breathe.  
  
Oh Jesus!  
  
Her whole body was bruised, with welts so large...deep gashes...there was something caught in the back of her throat, she held a sob deep within her, no longer in her heart, but in her stomach, and she could feel it there, jittery and nervous like butterflies gone terribly awry.  
  
That was it, she couldn't take it any more, she was going to put up with this.  
  
Beth jumped out of her bed, and gathered her things up, all the clothing she could fit anyway, into her green suitcase. She rushed to the bathroom, looking for her toothbrush, a few towels and some soap.  
  
Money! She dug in her underwear drawer, grasping for her secret stash of about 150 dollars. It wasn't much, but with the help of her ATM card she could get enough...for...  
  
For what? Where was she going to go? Where in the hell did she actually think she was going to go?  
  
She glanced at the clock on her bedside table, today was a Thursday, and she hadn't shown up at work. Surely they would worry...  
  
But it didn't matter, maybe she would go back home...to her parents, get a job there...tell them that things...things just hadn't worked out with Derek.  
  
But what if he came looking for her...?  
  
Her mind was racing so fast that she couldn't catch each thought that went by.  
  
Maybe she should report him to the authorities...but it might be better if she got far away from California first, Derek would never fly out so fast...but...  
  
Oh God, just 'What If?'  
  
--  
  
Somehow, miraculously Beth had found the motivation to get herself to the Los Angeles airport, via a Taxi Cab.  
  
After waiting twenty minutes for an available flight, and then getting her ticket, she found herself, staring out the window high above the clouds...leaving California and all her troubles.  
  
She reached for her duffel, which she'd stored at her feet, and began digging.  
  
It was funny, right now, the one thing she wanted to do was write down.  
  
Throughout her High School years she had discovered her love of writing. She's always liked reading novels, why not write her own? But she could not find her suede Barnes and Noble Journal...where the heck was it? She reached deeper, and pulled out something, a book, with a bumpy black cover.  
  
Her scrap book! It must have been with the pile of things she had grabbed from underneath her bead.  
  
Wow...Beth hadn't touched this in ages. She flipped open the front cover, and there, sprawled across the first two pages in loopy bubble letters was the name:  
  
Lizzie McGuire  
  
Lizzie...when was the last time someone had called her that? Derek didn't like that name, he thought Beth fit her better...that Beth was the right name for someone so soft and sweet. She adopted it, and went by nothing else.  
  
Someone else though had given her that nickname...she turned over the next leaf in the thick volume, and there was a pictures of her, and two other people. But the largest picture in the very middle, surrounded with smaller pictures of the boy standing next to her, stuck out, and she fingered the slick face of the old photo. There he was, in all his teen-age glory, her best friend from childhood.  
  
David Zephyr Gordon.  
  
And suddenly, although she was dieing inside, she suddenly felt as if a huge weight had been lifted of her shoulders, staring into his soft blue eyes.  
  
How long ago had she talked to him last? He was the last person who called her Lizzie, even when Miranda, her other best friend, had started calling her Beth, Gordo...her nickname for him, Gordo wouldn't.  
  
She remembered suddenly something he'd said...  
  
"You're Lizzie McGuire, and that's all you'll ever be. Just Lizzie. And nothing else."  
  
Her heart shattered into a thousand pieces...he'd warned her, hadn't he? Hadn't Gordo said a thousand times, "There's something strange about him Lizzie, something I just don't trust, he's so sweet it's almost slimy. You hardly know him, and you think you love him? Stop rushing into this, as your best friend I'm begging you, slow down, think!"  
  
She hadn't listened.  
  
Why the hell hadn't she listened?  
  
"Gordo..." she whispered. "You were so right...you were right all along. What happened to us, in High School...I mean. I think you loved me...but I don't know. Did you? Did you love me Gordo? And I was to blind to see it?" She was talking to the picture as if it were real.  
  
Beth leaned backwards, and closed her eyes, when an idea hit her.  
  
Her eyes popped open, and she reached into her bag again, finally she found the book, the suede blue cover she'd bought on a whim when window shopping one day.  
  
'Stuck' she scratched across the top of the first page...by 'Lizzie McGuire'...yeah that looked good, 'Lizzie McGuire'...  
  
I didn't listen to you Gordo, Lizzie thought, But maybe now, in my dreams, I can change all of that.  
  
--  
  
Whoo.there you go. Soon I'll update...eventually.  
  
Oh! And I didn't fail my Algebra final.  
  
I just got a 'C' :/ Blauek...but it's better than failing.  
  
Ciao!  
  
Jen 


End file.
